PAT asks SC not to interfere in political matters

ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Saturday submitted a written response in the Supreme Court over a set of identical petitions filed by bar associations across Pakistan against the PAT and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) sit-ins on the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad.

The written reply, which was submitted by counsel for PAT Advocate Ali Zafar, stated that the court should not interfere in political matters as it would face the risk of losing its reputation. The response said that the PAT was a peaceful party and that it had never engaged in violence nor did it have any intentions of doing so.

The party said that holding sit-ins was the right of the party and it was an internationally established right. The reply also said that the party was protesting killings of its workers who were killed in a clash with the Punjab Police on June 17. The counsel said that the court had also ordered registration of the cases against 21 others, including the prime minister and the chief minister, but the police had not implemented the orders.

The PAT had failed to submit a written response during the hearing of the case on Aug 22, following which the apex court had ordered Advocate Zafar to submit a concise statement before the next hearing of the case on August 25.